Oral history interview with Katherine Duncan and Sarann Knight Preddy conducted by Claytee D. White on November 11, 2004 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview Katherine Duncan and Sarann Preddy speak about creating a black cultural/historical tour of Las Vegas, Nevada. Preddy also discusses buying the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino to preserve its history. Both women then talk about racism, segregation, and the involvement of African Americans in the history of Las Vegas.
Part of an interview with Sarann Knight Preddy conducted by Claytee D. White on June 5, 1997. Preddy recalls her pleasant residence in Hawthorne, the opening of the Moulin Rouge, and meeting entertainers as a keno dealer.
"The Cotton Club was a club at 500 Jackson St. in the West Side of Las Vegas, Nevada, which was an exclusive club for African Americans. Established in late 1944 as a small bar by Moe Taub... In 1969, [Sarann] Preddy put in a club with Margie Elliot called the Playhouse Lounge at the location. They were unable to obtain a gaming license and after a year, sold the business. It reopened from 1970 to 1985 as "Love's Cocktail Lounge"..." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Club_(Las_Vegas)
Sarann Preddy was born July 27, 1920 in Eufaula, Oklahoma. Sarann Knight Preddy moved to Hawthorne, Nevada, in the 1940s, becoming a business owner and president of the NAACP. Later she moved to Las Vegas, where she served as a community activist and worked as one of the first black 21-dealers. Preddy bought the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and worked to preserve the building and its history. She passed away on December 22, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Part of an interview with D. D. Cotton by Claytee White on February 14, 1997. Cotton discusses challenges faced by women dealers and her work as a dancer and dealer in a number of casinos.
Bud Weil worked as a disc jockey in Mexico after serving in the military during World War II. In 1947, he moved to Las Vegas to work at KLAS but after two days he was job hunting. His search landed him at KENO, a radio station owned by Max and Laura Belle Kelch. His was an interview show that afforded him entree to stars performing in town. The list of his favorite interviews includes Sophie Tucker, Sammy Davis, Jack Benny, The Mills Brother, Rosemary Clooney, Leno Home, Joey Lewis and many others. In 1955, he became restless, left the career in broadcasting, and joined Max Kelch as a partner in a new venture for Las Vegas - Musak. This enterprise took him to the doors of every business in town and shortly, he knew everybody. He uses that knowledge in this interview to talk about all aspects of life as the town grew over the years. Today he is a senior statesman of our town, enjoying everything about Las Vegas except the traffic.
Interview with Katherine Duncan and Sarann Knight Preddy conducted by Claytee D. White on November 28, 2004. Duncan moved to Las Vegas in 1977, worked with Nevada Motion Picture Services, and owned a travel agency. She started a black heritage tour of Las Vegas.
Part of an interview with Katherine Duncan and Sarann Knight Preddy (not featured in clip) by Claytee White, November 28, 2004. Duncan describes how she started a black heritage tour of Las Vegas.
Herman Jimerson and his younger sister Ruth Jimerson-Carter, along with her husband Leon Carter Jr., gathered on March 3, 2021, to talk about their memories and experiences growing up in West Las Vegas—the Westside.
OH-03746 contains additional interviews with the Carter family that are not transcribed in this document. Contact special.collections@unlv.edu for more information.